Almost won - again

Poor Beth, once again narrowly defeated at Catan. We've played this game several times over the course of Beth's stay in Edinburgh this week, and she has almost won twice. On both occasions I was the one to shatter her dreams of victory - but she's still smiling because we all enjoy the games whatever the outcome.

I have a lot of catching up to do at the end of a busy week split between Edinburgh and Manchester. However, I'm officially not at work again until Wednesday, so I decided to take things easy today. Apart from an online meeting with my friend Adrian at the BBC (who I know from work with the EPSRC a decade ago) about our project to podcast Lorna Lloyd's war diary and other writing, I mainly dealt with duties domestic. This activity included popping round to the shops to pick up provisions for tonight's vegan dinner of orzo with leeks and asparagus followed by fruit salad, and cooking the meal. Such a menu was necessitated because Bruce came over for Beth's farewell supper and last game of Catan.

Mr hazelh and I were also today amongst the tens of thousands in the Big Jet TV audience captivated by the footage of planes negotiating the winds of Storm Eunice as they attempted to land at Heathrow.

Exercise today: walking.